Posted - 21 Apr 2014 : 13:43:58Gambia disqualified21-04-2014The Organising Committee for the Orange Africa U-20 Championship has disqualified Gambia from the competition. The decision follows a protest by Liberia on some players of Gambia during the first leg on Sunday, 6 April 2014, which Gambia won 1-0.

Indeed, Sampierre Mendy, Buba Sanneh, Bubacarr Trawally, Saloum Fall and Ali Sowe were all born in 1994 and are not qualified to participate in the competition reserved for players born on or after 1 January 1995, as stated in a circular dated 2 September 2013 sent to all Member Associations of CAF.

In view of this, Match Number 22 (second leg) Gambia – Liberia scheduled for 25-27 April is canceled, and Liberia has qualified for the next round.

The latest development is contained in a letter written to the world football governing body dated 29th July 2014 by ‘members of the GFF’who refer to themselves as stakeholders.

In the letter, the group, whose membership is said to come from various league clubs, regional and aligned associations, is contesting the appointment of the Banjul North Member of Parliament by FIFA as head of the NC.

The two-page dossier copied to relevant football entities, including the Director General of the country’s National Intelligence Agency, claims the new chairman is a licensed agent and by virtue of his position is ineligible to hold any position of football management.

Describing the appointment a blatant contradiction, the group quoted article 6 paragraph 2 and 3 of the FIFA Players’ Agent Regulations 2008, to back its claims.......Full ReportRetired FIFA referee Alhajie Faye

It is “an honour to accept this position of responsibility”, declared Hon. Alhagi Sillah reacting to his appointment on Wednesday 23rd July by FIFA to chair a Normalisation Committee for football in The Gambia.Hon. Sillah told The Point in an exclusive interview in Banjul on Thursday that “Gambian football is at a cross-road, and this intervention is aimed at fixing the problem once and for all. We will give it our best shot, and with proper consultation we will succeed”, he added.

In the interview, Alhagi Sillah appealed “to all football lovers in the country to come together to ensure that we succeed as a nation, because The Gambia belongs to all of us”.

He announced that four other persons identified by FIFA to serve as members of the Normalisation Committee are Ms Haddy Sillah-Njie, Baa Jabbi, Badara Sanneh and one Mr Vitalise a legal practitioner.......Full Report

A group of football stakeholders calling for the return of the FIFAGambia Football Federation executive, Foroyaa Sport can reveal have now been constituted.

The confirmation of the membership follows a day after a letter (part of it published in our Monday edition) was pieced to FIFA urging the world football governing body to rescind its decision on the current GFF on Sunday.

The Sepp Blatter leadership last Thursday effectively putting to use its exceptional powers, dissolved the Gambian federation whom it said lacked stakeholders’ trust replacing it with a five-member normalizing committee.

The move ignited response from some league clubs, regional and aligned associations, who described the decision to change the current setup a recipe for disaster for Gambian football while throwing their weight behind Kebbeh’s camp.....Full Report2. Related Foroyaa Sports News;

The ministry of Youth and Sports in Banjul has finally revealed the outcome of meetings recently held by Gambian sports and football authorities, with CAF and FIFA, on the fringes of the football World Cup in Brazil.

Almost a month after they returned from Brazil, the Sports ministry Tuesday issued a press release in which it described, as “fruitful and positive”, the meetings held with CAF and FIFA to resolve the matter which led to the recent suspension of The Gambia from all continental football for two years.....

Members of the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) delegation lead by president Mustapha Kebbeh, who have been tight-lipped on the outcome of the meeting with FIFA and CAF officials, since their return from Brazil, have finally issued a media release, a day after the Ministry of Youth and Sports issued a press release disclosing the outcome of the meeting.

For the benefit of our readers we publish below the full text of the release sent to Pointsports by Bakary B Baldeh, GFF publicity and marketing officer:....Read Full Story

The former president of the Gambia Football Association (GFA) has reacted to news reports linking him to the ‘plot to buy the World cup’ scandal, calling it a smear campaign by the English press to destroy the Qatar World Cup bid which Bin Hamman successfully saw through.

Under its front-page headline "Plot to buy the World Cup," The Sunday Times alleged that Seedy Kinteh received over £36,000 for a car to travel to football projects from Mohammed bin Hammam.

But speaking to The Standard Newspaper in Banjul, Mr Kinteh rubbished the allegations saying: “Everything is being done to discredit the man so that opinion can be swayed against holding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.”

The former GFA boss said his relations with Bin Hamman began when the Qatari was chairman of the Fifa Goal Project, which funded the Football House building in Kanifing, the artificial turf at Brikama Mini Stadium and the Technical Training Centre in Yundum.

Kinteh added: “The successful and transparent completion of those projects has given the GFA great respect in FIFA and personally cemented my relations with him to friendship and brotherliness, up to a point that Bin Hamman often provided personal financial assistance to me whenever he wished or I needed it. In fact, that gesture continues even now.

The last time he extended personal private financial assistance to me was a few weeks ago in April.'' ...Full Report2. Former GFA secretary general Kebba Yoro Manneh, told The Standard News;

Ebou Secka of the National Sports Council is the latest official to be taken into custody following the recent mass arrest of sporting officials by police late last week, Foroyaa Sport can report. Secka, the erstwhile Gambia Football Association Assistant Secretary General under the Normalisation Committee, now joined his colleagues from NSC officials and GFF who have been in custody for six days now.

The programme officer of the council and part of Gambia’s delegation in the U-20 away fixture in Monrovia was apprehended on Monday, 12 May, and is said to be helping the police in their investigation, according to a source.

His detention is said to be in connection to Gambia’s disqualification by Caf , thus bringing the total number of arrested council’s executive members to three. At the same time, nine GFF executive committee members are being held beyond the 72 hours constitutional requirement.

The Point has learned through reliable sources that the suspension of the four Gambia Football Federation (GFF) officials will last for three months.

It could be recalled that Youth and Sports minister Alieu K. Jammeh on Wednesday announced the suspension of Mustapha Kebbeh, GFF president, Buba ‘Star’ Janneh, 1st vice-president, Kebba K. Touray, 2nd vice-president, and Basiru Bajo, 3rd vice-president, at a press conference held at the conference room of the Independence Stadium in Bakau....

Lamin Sanneh, permanent secretary at the ministry of Lands and Regional Government, has turned down his selection to serve as a member of the new committee set up to steer the affairs of the Gambia Football Federation, GFF.Contacted by this reporter yesterday for his reaction to the new post, Lamin Sanneh said: “Well it is a very good offer; that I have been considered for this position to contribute my quota to sports in this country; but I have been just promoted as permanent secretary 2 at the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government, and I have not yet settled down.”